Master of Translation and Interpreting Studies with the degree of Master of International Relations

TIIR19MTV1

Faculty:

Faculty of Human Sciences

Award:

Master of Translation and Interpreting Studies with the degree of Master of International Relations (MTransInterMIntRel)

Admission Requirement:

• Australian level 7 bachelor's qualification or recognised equivalent in a social science, language or communication related field including translation studies, translating and interpreting, linguistics, speech and hearing sciences, speech-language pathology, language or literary studies, comparative literature, creative writing, education, journalism, media or communication studies, law, or a related discipline
• GPA of 4.50 (out of 7.00) or overseas equivalent
• Proficiency in one of the available languages

English Language Proficiency:

Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in each band, or equivalent

Study Mode:

Full-time, Part-time

Attendance Mode:

Internal

Candidature Length:

Full-time: 2.5 years

Commencement:

North Ryde — Session 1 (25 February 2019)

North Ryde — Session 2 (29 July 2019)

Volume of Learning:

Equivalent to 2.5 years

General requirements:

Minimum number of credit points at 800 level or above

80

Completion of other specific minimum requirements as set out below

In order to graduate students must ensure that they have satisfied all of the general requirements of the award.

TOTAL CREDIT POINTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM

The Master of Translating and Interpreting (MTI) with the degree of Master of International Relations (MIR) is a 2.5 year Masters program.

The MTI/MIR programs offer a curriculum with professional and academic knowledge and skills as well as advocacy skills. Students undertake an extensive and innovative integrated professional education program and are required to design a research project. There are also opportunities available for students to execute a substantial research project and engage in internship opportunities with the industry partners in a variety of settings.

The program aims are as follows:
• graduates will be competent, ethical and socially responsible professional practitioners in the context of translating and interpreting (T & I) with enhanced knowledge and skills able to deliver high quality performance in a various practice settings
• graduates will be reflective practitioners committed to lifelong learning and able to demonstrate competent T & I practice and skills in the context of international relations
• graduates will be able to identify and address key problems that they encounter using acquired problem-solving skills
• graduates will be able to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with clients and colleagues and the wider community from different cultural backgrounds
• graduates will demonstrate the ability to produce new knowledge or apply existing knowledge in innovative ways to contribute to the professional community and society as a whole.

The Master of International Relations is designed to develop an a comprehensive understanding of the political, social, economic and legal components and processes of the international system. There is an emphasis on understanding how these components and institutions operate in specific regions of the world. It is a highly flexible program, offering day and evening lectures and tutorials as well as on-line/external study options. The program is delivered by leading academics in the fields of Asian, European, American, African, Australian and Middle Eastern studies. Eligible students have an opportunity to gain work experience through an internship in an approved institution and to credit this to their degree.

Graduate Capabilities

The Graduate Capabilities Framework articulates the fundamentals that underpin all of Macquarie’s academic programs. It expresses these as follows:

Interpersonal or social capabilities(C) effective communication(E) engaged and ethical local and global citizens(A) socially and environmentally active and responsible

Personal capabilities(J) capable of professional and personal judgement and initiative(L) commitment to continuous learning

Program Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program it is anticipated you should be able to:

1. demonstrate understanding of theoretical principles of both translation and interpreting studies and in the area of international relations (K, T, P)
2. demonstrate substantial translating and interpreting skills and techniques (K, T, P)
3. initiate, plan, implement and evaluate strategies to maintain and improve language skills and knowledge required of professional translators and interpreters and in the settings of international relations (T, E, J)
4. demonstrate knowledge and skills of technological applications for the practice of translation and interpreting (K, T, P)
5. apply linguistic skills and knowledge to investigate, analyse and synthesize complex information, problems, concepts and theories within the fields of T&I (K, T, P, J)
6. apply knowledge and skills creatively and ethically, with a high level of personal autonomy and professional accountability (T, E, J)
7. demonstrate knowledge of research methodologies in the field of translating and/or interpreting (K, T, P)
8. discriminate between competing theories that seek to explain current and historical conflicts in the international arena and selectively apply those theories to stated cases (K, T)
9. outline critically the institutional growth of international and global society, showing a detailed knowledge of selected aspects of institutional change (K, T)
10. integrate political, legal, social and economic reasoning to the extent possible in explaining cases of conflict in the international arena (K, T, J)
11. explain how ideational, cultural and personal factors interact to influence perception and understanding in world affairs (C, E, J)
12. analyse critically the balance of causality as between actors, institutions and ideas in explaining national and supra-national linkages in disputes and dispute resolution in international affairs (T, P, J)
13. execute research strategies designed to answer important questions in world affairs in a self-directed way, applying key concepts, theories and methodologies in international relations and, as appropriate, cognate disciplines (K, P, E)
14. explicate current and historical conflicts in the international arena using written, oral and digital means at levels appropriate to different audiences or stakeholders (K, C, J).

Learning and Teaching Methods

In this program, you will be guided and encouraged to acquire the theoretical knowledge and understanding as well as practical skills and methods required to become a professional translator or interpreter and international relations practitioner. Progressively, you will also be guided to achieve this collaboratively, as well as independently in various practical, research and theoretical activities. These will include lectures, discussion classes, tutorials, seminars, workshops as well as a practicum, online activities, all based on a student-centered approach where you will learn to work collaboratively with peers, but also independently.

Since the T & I program is a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, you will be exposed to a variety of teaching and learning interventions and tasks. These tasks will include various reading activities, information gathering activities, practical exercises, independent research tasks, and self-reflective activities, as well as a practicum where you will obtain experience in a real-world context. You will be encouraged and guided to apply the theoretical knowledge you will acquire in certain parts of the program to the practical components of the program.

There is a strong technological component in the T & I part of the program, through which you will be trained to engage with and apply various computer tools in both translation and interpreting. Technology is playing an increasingly central role in the work of language professionals, and you will be prepared to engage with various types of technology in executing your practical tasks. Through this emphasis on technology, you will also be guided to acquire skills that will allow you to adapt to a fast-changing reality.

In addition to the skills and knowledge you will acquire, you will also be guided to develop the ability to find creative solutions to complex linguistic problems through both practical and research-oriented activities. Through these activities you will learn to engage with linguistic choices in translation and interpreting, as well as how to conduct yourself in interpersonal interactions with various agents in translation and interpreting communication contexts in a professional and ethical manner.

The way the program is delivered allows for your independent development of investigative, analytical, and synthesizing linguistic skills and knowledge in larger research projects where you will be required to deal with complex information, problems, concepts and theories in the practice of translation and interpreting. In these projects, you will be taught to communicate theoretical concepts relevant to your field for the benefit of peers, clients and the general public.

The activities that students undertake in the International Relations part of the program are always related to the thoughts and actions of others. Reading diverse materials in many different formats, interaction with faculty and peers, both digitally and face-to-face, and observation are activities that feed reflection. Active engagement with faculty and peers is equally promoted in on-line and on-campus lectures and in other interactive modes that allow questions and testing in modes that may involve two or many other people. Methods employed include discussion, both structured and spontaneous (under moderation), debate, simulations and role play, panel decision-making, journalling and peer review and feedback. In seminars and fieldwork exercises, student engagement is essential for structured discussion and the collaborative consideration of the core principles and points of contention in international relations.

Communication, in written and oral forms, is critically important to the program. Graduates of the program develop skills in assessing controversies in global society and in elaborating their own intellectual and applied perspectives across such issues, but their capacities in communicating their knowledge are essential too. The development of skills in formulating and delivering persuasive arguments in appropriate ways (written, oral, visual) is a key objective of the program.

Assessment

The assessment in both parts of this program takes a variety of formative and summative forms that can be divided, broadly speaking, into practical assessments, theoretical and analytical assessments and research projects. Clear standards and criteria for these assessments, for what is assessed and how it is assessed, are contained in each unit guide. Some of the practical assessments may be done in part or wholly by other students as peer assessment, and you will also be guided towards improved self-assessment as this is an essential professional skill for translators and interpreters.

The practical component of the T & I coursework constitutes approximately half of the full program, and this weight is also reflected in the assessment in the program. In the first instance, self- and peer-assessment will form an important part of the practical tutorials. The tasks you will be required to complete in these tutorials will also be assessed formatively during the tutorials by lecturers and or tutors, as well as summatively in longer assignments, tests and examinations. In isolated practical units, the summative assessment will also comply with NAATI requirements for accreditation (application for NAATI accreditation remains an individual choice for students).

The theoretical and analytical component of the coursework will be assessed formatively in shorter written assessments in the theoretical units but also as analytical assessments in the practical units. This component will also form a substantial part of the summative assessment in the program.

Finally, the research component of the coursework will be assessed mainly summatively in substantial independent research projects in one of the theory units as well as in one of the practical units in the final semester.

During the final semester of the program, there will be major summative assessments in terms of research methodology and independent research. In the case of research methodology, students will complete a smaller number of formative assessments, before producing a research proposal as summative assessment. In the case of independent research, students will be required to produce longer research reports in two specific units that will constitute fifty per cent of the assessments for those units. In the same semester, students will also be assessed formatively in terms of professional practice through the compilation of a portfolio of practical assignments.

Assessment tasks in the International Relations part of this double degree program include: small group work and individual assessment tasks such as short policy papers, longer research essays, substantive reviews of the published work of others, bibliographic essays, self assessment and peer assessment against benchmarks, and in-class tests.

In addition, there is the possibility of internships, offered regularly to students with good records of achievement, generally in the latter half of their program, and are usually undertaken with local organisations of a relevant character, including political organisations, parliamentary committees, businesses with international links, and non-government or consultancy organisations of advocacy, aid or faith. International internships are supported wherever practicable. For high performing students, there is also the potential to complete a short dissertation under the supervision of an experienced faculty member.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Macquarie University may recognise prior formal, informal and non-formal learning for the purpose of granting credit towards, or admission into, a program. The recognition of these forms of learning is enabled by the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy (see www.mq.edu.au/policy) and its associated Procedures and Guidelines. The RPL pages contain information on how to apply, links to registers, and the approval processes for recognising prior learning for entry or credit.

Macquarie University aspires to be an inclusive and supportive community of learners where all students are given the opportunity to meet their academic and personal goals. The University offers a comprehensive range of free and accessible student support services which include academic advice, counselling and psychological services, advocacy services and welfare advice, careers and employment, disability services and academic skills workshops amongst others. There is also a bulk billing medical service located on campus.

The program is subject to an ongoing comprehensive process of quality review in accordance with a pre-determined schedule that complies with the Higher Education Standards Framework. The review is overseen by Macquarie University's peak academic governance body, the Academic Senate and takes into account feedback received from students, staff and external stakeholders.

Graduate Destinations and Employability

• Graduates will be eligible to work as professional translator and interpreter.
• Graduates will be eligible for full membership of the professional body NAATI.
• Graduates will demonstrate advanced T&I skills and will be well prepared to pursue a career as professional translator and interpreter particularly in a public or private organisation which has a strong international focus.
• International organisations, a major focus of international relations study, are a major employer of graduates in translating and interpretation. The double degree in Master of Translating and Interpreting with Master of International Relations allows graduates to acquire skills and knowledge in both areas, making them highly employable.

Assessment Regulations

This program is subject to Macquarie University regulations, including but not limited to those specified in the Assessment Policy, Academic Honesty Policy, the Final Examination Policy and relevant University Rules. For all approved University policies, procedures, guidelines and schedules visit www.mq.edu.au/policy.

Accreditation

This is an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) accredited qualification.

NAATI (the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) is the certifying authority for translators and interpreters in Australia. Students will be required to meet all the assessment requirements set in each semester throughout the period of their study in order to be eligible to apply for certification from NAATI.

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or program necessary for a student to successfully achieve the core learning outcomes of a course or program. Students must meet the inherent requirements to complete their Macquarie University course or program.

Inherent requirements for Macquarie University programs fall under the following categories:

Physical: The physical inherent requirement is to have the physical capabilities to safely and effectively perform the activities necessary to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.

Cognition: The inherent requirement for cognition is possessing the intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative capabilities to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.

Communication: The inherent requirement for communication is the capacity to communicate information, thoughts and ideas through a variety of mediums and with a range of audiences.

Behavioural: The behavioural inherent requirement is the capacity to sustain appropriate behaviour over the duration of units of study to engage in activities necessary to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.